East Bay breaks out with 21 runs at Tampa Bay Tech
East Bay sophomore Rory Beauford scores in the first inning. Beauford finished 3-for-5 with seven RBI.
By Lily Belcher, Correspondent
TAMPA – East Bay broke a seven-game losing streak in a 21-11 mercy-rule victory over Tampa Bay Tech on Thursday night. Seven doubles across five innings and ten walks in the final two frames put runners in scoring position for well-hit RBI.
East Bay (3-13) came out with a commanding start, opening with a leadoff single by Andrew Gingrich. An RBI double by senior Ty Andrews scored Gingrich to put East Bay on the board.
“We were just hoping that our bats came alive and once they started to come alive and we felt the momentum on our side, they just kept hitting them,” said Indians coach Rowland Ruiz.
Rory Beauford doubled and scored Andrews before being driven in by an error to Tampa Bay Tech’s (2-15) third baseman Ethan Jones.
“I just feel like I’m glad to play for the team. Not really selfish [at bats] even at times when I could’ve just swung for the fences. When we were up by a lot, I wanted to give my team the chance to do what they had to do,” said Beauford, who went 3-four-5 with seven RBI.
Senior Kyler Browning hit the Indian’s third RBI double of the inning, scoring senior Kayleb Wright.
The Titans picked up their first run of the night off an RBI double by Ethan Jones in the bottom of the first.
East Bay matched their hot, first-inning performance, scoring four more runs and batting around in the top of the second. The Indians hit five consecutive singles, including a two RBI base hit by senior Taurean Norman.
The Titans scored a pair of runs after two consecutive walks allowed Sean Sheffield to hit a two-RBI double.
Tampa Bay Tech put in reliever Joseph Harman at the top of the third, who held the Indians to just one run in the frame. Tech answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the third.
With a five-run lead heading into the fourth, the Indians extended their lead to 15-4. The six-run inning came off three doubles, including Beauford’s second of the night, five walks and a single by East Bay.
“That young man has been swinging the bat well all season,” Ruiz said of Beauford. “He’s one of our hot bats and he’s going to continue to be our hot bat…He had a great game today.”
TBT stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with a mercy-rule decision looming, scoring six to keep the game alive for the Titans.
East Bay’s starter Tayton Laing hit a pair of batters and gave up two singles before a two RBI single by Jones closed the gap to 15-8.
East Bay finished the game in the top of the fifth, scoring six more runs to bring their total to 21.
The Indians kept runners on the bases and squeezed three runners home on wild pitches, one on a balk and two RBI awarded to Beauford and Norman.
“It wasn’t the prettiest win from us at all, but the bats came alive, and we continued to fight even when we gave up a big inning,” said Ruiz. “We came back and continued to fight and showed some plate discipline and showed some barrels on the ball, which we had trouble with the past few games. So, I’m happy that the bats are coming alive now.”
Attempting to keep the game alive, Tampa Bay Tech’s Shawn Sheffield scored on a wild pitch, but three consecutive strikeouts by Indian’s reliever Jacob Beams ended the game in five innings.
“This win tonight is definitely going to leap us forward against Newsome, and we’ll continue to fight and play good games as a team,” said Ruiz.
East Bay will travel to Newsome on Tuesday, and Tampa Bay Tech will travel to Gaither tomorrow.
⚾⚾⚾⚾
East Bay 21, Tampa Bay Tech 11
E 441|66x|x – |21|18|3
T 121|61x|x – |11|7|4
W – Laing; L –Shultz
2B – Beauford 2, Browning, Andrews, Dowe, Hayes (E); L. Jones, Sheffield, E. Jones (T). Records – E (3-13); T (2-15).
